Polymer analysis

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a proven elemental analysis technique used in many industries. When X-rays strike atoms in a material, the atoms emit fluorescent “fingerprints” that indicate the elemental composition of the material. This data is crucial for compliance with global directives concerning toxic metal content such as RoHS-3, WEEE, and ELV.

Malvern Panalytical provides both cutting-edge XRF instrumentation and reference materials for polymer characterization, including ADPOL for additives and fillers analysis and TOXEL for accurate toxic elements analysis. 

Application Areas

• In plastic recycling, XRF is employed to identify and quantify the elemental makeup of recycled polymers, ensuring that contaminants and additives are within acceptable limits. This is critical for optimizing processing conditions, maintaining product quality, and meeting regulatory standards.
• XRF also helps pinpoint impurities that could adversely affect the mechanical and thermal properties of recycled plastics, ultimately guiding improvements in sorting and processing methods.
• Precise elemental characterization ensures that catalysts have the correct composition and optimal dispersion of active sites, which are essential for achieving high efficiency and selectivity in chemical reactions. With XRF, researchers can fine-tune catalyst formulations, monitor catalyst deactivation, and develop materials that are more robust and environmentally friendly.

Investigating the crystal structure and phase composition of polymers is fundamental to understanding and optimizing their performance characteristics. The arrangement of crystalline and amorphous regions within a polymer directly influences its mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance, among other properties.

Malvern Panalytical’s X-ray diffraction (XRD) offering includes two best-in-class x-ray diffractometers, the Aeris and Empyrean.

Aeris

• Aeris is a compact XRD system that is designed for versatility, high data quality, and reproducibility.
• It’s the perfect solution for lab managers, university professors, and manufacturing professionals who need to measure crystalline properties in a variety of sample types. 
• With Aeris, users can enjoy the accuracy and capability of a large floor-standing unit, without the high cost of ownership or the need for specialized expertise.

Empyrean

• The Empyrean system has been designed for state-of-the-art data quality, including the much more demanding hard radiation applications. 
• It’s the only platform that does it all, delivering the best data quality on every sample type. It covers the largest set of X-ray diffraction, scattering, and imaging applications in one single instrument.

Both these instruments provide a crucial feature for polymer characterization: they are designed to be easily modified with hardware attachments and new software. For instance, Aeris’s modular build enables the easy addition of attachments and add-ons, and Empyrean’s PreFIX concept allows users to switch between different configurations without laborious re-alignment procedures, achieving unrivaled flexibility.

This flexibility also supports greater sustainability. With microplastics becoming a growing concern, future regulations are likely to tighten requirements for polymer screening to prevent environmental damage. Future-proofed XRD instruments are ready for any new analytical processes, giving deeper insights into the environmental impact of polymers.

Application Areas

• In R&D, researchers can predict how a polymer will behave under various processing conditions and environmental conditions by analyzing their crystalline structure.
• Such insights are also critical for ensuring consistent quality in industrial production.
• Understanding phase composition aids in identifying potential defects and areas for improvement, ultimately driving innovation in the design and development of advanced polymeric materials.

Particle size distribution analysis plays a crucial role in the field of polymers by providing essential insights into both the raw materials and the finished products. This analytical process helps characterize the size range and distribution of particles, which directly influences the mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties of the polymer.

Laser diffraction measures the angular variation in intensity of a scattered laser beam, and uses this to generate information on size distributions. The Mastersizer 3000+  is a versatile, compact LD instrument that aligns with the analytical requirements and demanding workflows of today’s laboratories.

Application Areas

• In the study of raw materials, accurate particle size information ensures that the additives and fillers meet the necessary specifications for uniformity and performance, which is vital for consistent production outcomes.
• During manufacturing, monitoring particle size distribution is key to maintaining process control, as any deviations can indicate potential issues like agglomeration or improper mixing, ultimately affecting the polymer's processing behavior.
• Manufacturers of polymer suspensions and colloidal polymer solutions can verify that the polymer meets desired performance criteria and industry standards, ensuring reliability and functionality in its applications.

Polymer morphology is essential for examining how polymer chains' arrangement, branching, and molecular weight influence a polymer's structural and mechanical properties. Branching and molecular weight distribution are particularly crucial.

The arrangement of polymer chains – including the degree of branching and the distribution of molecular weights – plays a significant role in determining characteristics such as mechanical strength, viscosity, thermal behavior, and chemical resistance. For instance, branching can influence how polymer chains entangle and interact, affecting the density and flexibility of the material. Similarly, variations in molecular weight impact processability and the overall performance of the polymer, with higher molecular weights often leading to enhanced toughness and strength.

The Morphologi 4-ID is specifically designed to analyze polymers. It provides detailed morphological descriptions of particulate samples through static image analysis, enabling the measurement of various parameters such as particle size and shape. This system is particularly effective for characterizing polymer particles, including those used in applications like powder bed fusion processes. 

The Morphologi 4-ID combines automated imaging with chemical identification capabilities, allowing for the comprehensive analysis of polymer structures and properties, which is essential for optimizing material performance in various applications.

Application Areas

• By investigating morphological parameters, researchers can predict and manipulate the behavior of polymers under various conditions, ultimately enabling the design of materials tailored for specific applications.
• This capability can also be used to ensure consistent quality throughout production.

With their range of unique properties, new and advanced polymers play an important role in the drive toward more sustainable materials. Developing, manufacturing, and ensuring the quality of these polymers requires the most cutting-edge tools and expertise. This is why Malvern Panalytical is your partner in discovery.

Our application specialists are experts in their field and can help you combine your know-how with our measurement expertise. From instrumentation to operator training, sample preparation assistance, and maintenance support, we are ready to assist you across every step of your polymer development and manufacturing process.

Blog:

• Explore polymer characterization (Part 1) : Techniques and their impact
• Explore polymer characterization (Part 2): Discover how it revolutionizes recycling
• A guide to the crystallinity of polymers